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 Home > MRC Spotlights > Unit Spotlight - Spring 2007
When was the Unit Founded?
The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps was founded in October 2006.
What Drives the Unit?
The focus of the Dane County Medical Reserve Corps is to provide surge capacity in a community response and to fulfill public health initiatives defined by the public health department.
How Many Volunteers Does the Unit Have?
The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps has 30 volunteer mental health professionals, which includes representation by various levels of the public health department.
How is the Unit’s Staff Structured?
The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps staff consists of the MRC Coordinator and Citizen Corps Council.
Why was the Unit Selected?
The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps is unique in that it consists only of mental health professionals who are trained to assist the community during a crisis. The unit’s volunteers are very active, participating in monthly meetings and conference calls. The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps is also well integrated into the community, as it is housed in a Citizen Corps Council and works with the local emergency management agency.
What are some of the Unit’s Activities?
The Dane County Medical Reserve Corps holds regular monthly meetings and plans to conduct ICS and NIMS training. The unit is currently developing an operational plan and is in the process of assessing its core competencies for volunteers.
What are some of the Unit’s Accomplishments?
Because of the wealth of healthcare professionals in the community, the Dane County Medical Reserve Corps leadership had to convince community partners that the MRC would play an important role in supporting the community in an event. Several years ago, a disaster at the University of Wisconsin stadium functioned as a catalyst in the community for establishing a mental health response team. The unit has now expanded upon this base to build a full Medical Reserve Corps.
In addition, the Dane County MRC has dealt with liability concerns for volunteers. Current liability legislation only covers healthcare professionals serving in healthcare facilities, but legislation is being proposed that would expand the perimeters and take various situations into consideration. In fact, a Dane County MRC board member was a part of the legislative committee which helped the state to identify liability protection as a necessity.
Last Updated on 7/6/2007 |
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